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A new comedy special from Dave Chappelle?

The presence of cameras at Dave Chappelle's show in Austin, Texas, and a website report have raised hopes he's filming a new HBO comedy special.
(Gerald Herbert / The Associated Press file photo)

By Soraya Nadia McDonaldThe Washington Post

Tues., April 7, 2015

The website Comedy Hype thinks Dave Chappelle might have been filming a new comedy special this week in Austin and is reporting that, according to their sources, it’s for HBO. If true, it would be Chappelle’s second for the network; Killing Them Softly aired all the way back in 2000.

Feel free to let out a cautious yelp of joy, if you dare.

Here’s what we know for sure:

Chappelle performed at ACL Live in Austin this week, which was a stop on his tour.

There were cameras at those shows, which may have been filming something, and that something may one day turn into a televised comedy special.

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How silly we’ll feel for making a big deal out of this if it turns out that Chappelle decided he wanted to have a website, which he currently does not, and he was just filming some snazzy video for it. Answer: extremely silly. Also crushed.

Chappelle’s return to (somewhat) public life has been pretty quiet. He headlined the touring Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival in 2013 but made the most news when he walked off the stage when hecklers interrupted him in Hartford, Conn.

Later, Chappelle reportedly remarked, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to the United States, but if North Korea ever drops a nuclear bomb on this country, I swear to God I hope it lands in Hartford, Connecticut.”

Chappelle kicked off a comeback push in earnest last year with sold-out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. He actually appeared on late-night television to promote them. He was at the 40th anniversary special for Saturday Night Live. He has re-emerged! And yet, this feels like one of those things that could easily evaporate into urban legend and simply never come to fruition if the wind blows the wrong way.

The best bet, obviously, is to see Chappelle on tour, hope for the best and maybe not pelt him with banana peels.

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